


We both should be sleeping

by Phantomxlegend



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Klaus is a good brother, Klaus is stubborn, Let this boy sleep, Nightmares, Number Five | The Boy Needs A Hug, Possibly ooc warning idk, Sibling Bonding, five steals everyone’s clothes, kinda hurt/comfort, sorry i don’t make the rules
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:41:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26820826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phantomxlegend/pseuds/Phantomxlegend
Summary: Klaus finds Five in the kitchen at almost three in the morning scribbling on the floor (Allison will be annoyed by that in the morning) and something’s off about his brother.
Relationships: Number Five | The Boy & Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 7
Kudos: 184





	We both should be sleeping

**Author's Note:**

> I was writing this and I was really worried about making it good/posting it professionally. Then I realized, to hell with that. This is fanfiction why do I have to be professional??? Im having fun and that’s what matters. Please enjoy.

Klaus just wanted a normal night (granted, the concept of normal was a bit fuzzy around the edges for someone that was intending to wander around the mansion at two in the morning until he was tired enough to fall asleep). He wandered into the kitchen to get something to eat, probably Five’s forgotten dinner that Vanya always puts in the fridge for whenever Five decides to come down and eat.

Klaus was not prepared to see Five hunched over on the floor, scribbling something down on the tile frantically. He wore a long-sleeved shirt that was several sizes too big for him, it looked like Diego’s.

The coffee pot on the counter had finished brewing but sat untouched, if Klaus had to make a guess he would assume that Five came down to get a cup of coffee and then got distracted by whatever thought he had.

“Five?” Klaus asked after a couple of minutes of him standing there and Five still not noticing, which was odd. The kid was observant as hell.

Five barely even flinched, but Klaus could see the tremble in his hands.

“What?” Five barked back, trying to keep his voice low enough that no one else would hear.

“You know Allison would have a fit if she saw you scribbling on the floor again,” Klaus raised one eyebrow, still hovering in the doorway of the kitchen, “and I don’t think Diego likes you wearing his clothes.”

Five made a noise that sounded a lot like a growl, he glared over his shoulder at Klaus but in the very dim light it had little effect.

“Allison can go shove it up her--” Five growled again and turned back to the ground, “What do you want?”

“Well, dear brother of mine,” Klaus stated, “I came down here to find something to eat and now here we are.”

“We aren’t  _ anywhere _ ,” Five said, “you’re being a distraction.”

“Well, may I inquire why you’re down here at this hour?” Klaus crouched down a few paces away from Five. He pressed his lips into a thin line.

“I came down for coffee.” 

Klaus waited for him to elaborate, maybe explain why he was writing on the floor  _ again _ . It was always a miracle how Mom managed to always remove whatever Five had written off of any surface. But Five didn’t say anything else.

“You realize that it’s almost three in the morning?” Klaus asked gently.

Five stopped writing, he clicked his tongue, “It hasn’t been that long?”

“How long have you been down here?” Klaus glanced over his shoulder, hoping that maybe Ben had followed him down here. Ben always knew what to do.

“Irrelevant,” Five mumbled, looking over his equations, he huffed and pushed himself up to his feet. Klaus didn’t like the way that his knees shook. He pulled the collar of Diego’s shirt up farther, it slipped right back down his shoulder.

“Did… something happen?” Klaus asked slowly, the numbers on the floor made no sense to him. Five’s expression was guarded, his body was shaking and he looked so small at the moment, wearing one of Diego’s shirts. For a moment it looked like he was about to jump away to his room. Five had a history of that.

“Five?” Klaus cocked his head to one side.

“No,” Five finally said. He leaned on the counter, barely looking Klaus in the eyes.

“Well dearest Five,” Klaus yawned, he put one hand on Five’s shoulder, ignoring the fact that he could have lost a limb from doing that, “I think that I will be heading to bed. Unless there just happens to be something that is bothering you that you’d wish to talk about.”

Five hesitated a lot longer than Klaus would have thought before Five shoved his hand off.

“There’s nothing.”

“Well, I think it would be an ease to my mind if you’d take this time to sleep since it is, if you didn’t notice, the middle of the night,” Klaus smiled, clasping his hands together, “A growing boy like you needs to get his rest.”

“I’m--”

“Fifty-something, right, but your body is thirteen so,” Klaus patted Five on the head, “a boy needs his rest.”

Five clenched his jaw, the fact that he was still slightly trembling was worrying, but Klaus was inept at trying to get people to open up.

There was a long beat of silence, Klaus figured that if he wanted this to go anywhere, he would need to be the one to start the conversation.

“Five…” 

Five took a deep breath, Klaus could practically hear the gears turning in his head, “What I’m doing right now does not concern you. Whether that be sleeping or not.”

“Hmm,” Klaus sucked in his cheeks, “I could wake up the rest of the house if that’s what you would want, I’m sure that Vanya or Allison would be much more stubborn than I am.”

Five grabbed Klaus’ wrist quicker than Klaus could have even reacted, “do. Not.”

Klaus shrugged.

Five hesitated for a moment, he squeezed Klaus’ wrist tightly, but Klaus didn’t pull away. There was something off about Five. He didn’t know what it was though.

“I’m going to my room,” Five growled, he let go of Klaus like the touch burned him, and before Klaus could say anything else he jumped. Klaus heaved a sigh. The coffee pot was still untouched, already finished brewing a long time ago.

Klaus reluctantly trudged up the stairs, he would deal with the kitchen later.

As Klaus neared Five’s room, he paused, he could hear a faint sound behind the door. It sounded a lot like crying, which stopped Klaus in his tracks.

“You should check up on him,” Ben said from behind Klaus.

“Where have you been?” Klaus hissed, keeping his voice low so Five didn’t hear.

Ben shrugged unhelpfully, “are you going to stand here all day?” Ben waved Klaus in the direction of the door. Klaus muttered a couple of insults under his breath, knocking softly on the door.

Five went silent.

“I’m coming in,” Klaus said, not knowing if Five even heard him. He swung open the door and slipped in, quickly shutting the door behind himself.

Klaus saw Five sitting at his desk, his head in his hands. He jerked his head towards the door when he heard Klaus come in.

“What are you doing? Get out,” Five hissed, his voice trembling. 

“I heard some suspicious noises coming from here and I wanted to see what you were doing?” Klaus knew he was stepping way over Five’s boundaries, he was lucky that he wasn’t even dead by now.

Five hastily wiped his eyes, “It’s nothing.”

“Five… you’re crying?” There was a bit of uncertainty in Klaus’ voice. He wasn’t 100% sure that what he was seeing was what was really happening.

“No, I’m not,” he looked away from Klaus. Klaus carefully approached the desk.

“Please, what’s wrong? Everyone knows that you’ve been different since you got back.”

“Obviously,” Five scoffed, “you go through an apocalypse alone and try and come out the same as before.” There was something else about the statement, it didn’t seem complete but Klaus didn’t want to ask.

“Nightmares?” Klaus took a guess.

Five was silent for a long time.

“If you tell anyone I’ll snap your spine,” he spat out.

“I won’t,” Klaus promised, “was it about…”

“Yeah…” Five bit down hard on his lower lip, “I can’t… I don’t want to keep seeing you guys dead…”

“Oh, Five.”

Sometimes it was easy to forget how old Five really was, how much he had gone through. Since he had the easy mask of a thirteen-year-old.

“Are you satisfied now? I told you what’s been bothering me. You can go now.”

Klaus pulled Five into his arms and was very surprised that he was met with no resistance. Five didn’t move or try and pull away, he just let Klaus wrap his arms around him.

“When was the last time that someone genuinely showed you affection?” Klaus asked, Five pressed his face against Klaus’ chest. He clutched the back of his shirt.

Five swore that he wouldn’t cry, not in front of his siblings at least. And yet hot tears were streaming down his cheeks.

“We’re going to stop the apocalypse, you’re not there anymore and we’re alive,” Klaus said, not knowing how efficient his words would be. Honestly, Klaus didn’t even know if they would live to the end of the week, he was sure Five knew that too. But neither of them commented on it.

Klaus had only seen Five cry once, and that was when they were really young. It had been after one of Five’s personal training days, he was tired and in pain. And obviously too young to know the concept of hiding his emotions.

Five didn’t deserve any of this, he was arrogant and cocky at times, but that doesn’t mean he deserved to find his siblings dead at such a young age. Klaus would never be able to understand it, but he could at least offer some comfort.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah this is my first time writing umbrella academy fanfiction. I’m not sure that I got either of them in character but boy do I love five. I was quite intimidated to write fanfiction with how complicated the show is and everything but I just said screw it. Thanks for reading <3


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